Therapeutic foot trimming and substrate management protocols for zoo rhinoceros address one of the most common causes of welfare compromise and premature death in captive populations.
Therapeutic foot trimming welfare advances have been dramatic — what previously required full general anesthesia with its attendant risks can now be performed on fully conscious rhinos that have been trained to present individual feet for examination and treatment. This training-based approach improves welfare in multiple ways: eliminates anesthetic risk, enables more frequent monitoring, reduces handling stress, and creates positive keeper-animal relationships that support overall welfare. Facilities that have invested in training-based foot care report earlier detection and treatment of foot problems and substantially lower rates of severe pathology.